Fluid impact gin

ABSTRACT

A new apparatus and system for separating cotton fibers from their seeds using the energy of an impacting fluid as the separating force is disclosed. Cotton fibers are wetted and embedded on a toothed surface rotating cylinder. As the cylinder is rotated, a system of spray nozzles are directed tangentially at the cylinder. Fluid is sprayed under pressure against the cottonseed and thus causes separation of the seeds from the cotton. The cottonseeds and cotton fibers are separately conveyed away for further processing.

United States Patent Griffin, Jr. et al.

FLUID IMPACT GIN Inventors: Anselm C. Griffin, Jr., Leland,

Miss.; Harold Watson, Auburn, Ala.

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of Agriculture, Washington, DC.

Filed: Nov. 19, 1974 Appl. No.: 525,129

Assignee:

US. Cl 19/48; 19/39 Int. Cl. DOlB l/04 Field of Search 19/39, 48 R, 55, 66 R,

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS l/l973 Bodine 19/39 X 1 Dec. 16, 1975 Primary Examiner-Dorsey Newton Attorney, Agent, or FirmM. Howard Silverstein; Max D. Hensley [57] ABSTRACT A new apparatus and system for separating cotton fibers from their seeds using the energy of an impacting fluid as the separating force is disclosed. Cotton fibers are wetted and embedded on a toothed surface rotating cylinder. As the cylinder is rotated, a system of spray nozzles are directed tangentially at the cylinder. Fluid is sprayed under pressure against the cottonseed and thus causes separation of the seeds from the cotton. The cottonseeds and cotton fibers are separately conveyed away for further processing.

9 Claims, 1 Drawing Figure US. Patent Dec. 16, 1975 3,925,849

FLUID IMPACT GIN This invention relates to cottonseed separating equipment. More specifically, this invention relates to a newapparatus and system forseparating cottonseed from cotton fibers using the energy of: an impacting fluid as the separating force.

In the prior art cotton is usually separated in the ginning process in the dry state. Various methods are employed, but all are designed to separate cottonfrom seed and foreign materials in the dry'state. All too frequently, previous processes required a-predrying operation before separation of cotton fiber from seed. These dry processes had the addeddis'advantages of cotton fiber breakage. I I

The instant invention therefore lem of overdried cotton'that would'fnormally suffer a high percentage .of fiber breakage in conventional gin stands. Since cotton fibers have their maximum strength when they are wet, we can thereby revert to a maximum strength condition before fiber-seed separation using the wet process, and thus'rediije fiber breakage during the separation action.

The main objective of this invention is to provide an apparatus and a system to efficiently separate cottonseed from cotton fiber.

Another object of the present invention is to eliminate a predrying conditioning step from cotton ginning processing.

A third object of this invention is to take advantage of the maximum strength physical property of cotton fiber in the wet condition.

A fourth object of this invention is to reduce cotton fiber breakage.

A fifth object of this invention is to reduce operating costs.

A sixth object of this invention is to reduce air polution in cotton gins by eliminating the dust and lint from dry processing of cotton.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will further become apparant hereinafter and in the draw ings, in which:

The FIGURE is a cross-sectional schematic of all the working parts of the process and apparatus used to separate cottonseed from cotton fiber by the fluid impacting method.

Reference is made to .the single FIGURE wherein seed cotton is fed into the gin by any convenient means. In the instant invention slide performs this function. The cotton is fed onto a rotating cylinder 1 whose external surface is covered by metal saw teeth 6. The cylinder may be fabricated by any of several methods which include: (1) card cloth type material fastened to a blank cylinder, (2) preformed wire teeth wound on a blank cyliner, (3) a built-up cylinder consisting of alternating saw disks and spacers, or (4) saw disks without spacers. It is important that the roots of the saw disk not be elevated above the surface of the cylinder.

Cylinder l is rotated by any convenient means at a rate which will depend on the rate of ginning. As cylinder 1 rotates, the seed cotton is exposed to a stream of water from wetting nozzles 2 for the purpose of wetting the seed cotton and causing the fibers to mingle with saw teeth 6 located on outer surface cylinder 1. Water is used as the wetting agent in the instant invention because: it is readily available, it is easily purified, it is not reactive with either cottonseed or cotton fiber,

eliminates the prob- 2 and it does not interfer with the further processing of cotton textile manufacturing processes. The water is supplied to nozzles 2 from reservoir 9 by means of pump 12.

I As cylinder 1 rotates further, the wet seed cotton is carried to the impacting areas of the fluid fromnoz'zles 3. Impact nozzles 3 are suppliedwith water from high pressure pump 13. Depending upon convenience, high pressure pump 13 may receive its intake fluid either directly from reservoir 9 or from the exhaust end of low pressure pump 12. Impact nozzles 3 direct the impactingstream tangentially to cylinder 1 and forcibly remove the cottonseed from the fibers while the latter are restrained by saw teeth 6 of cylinder 1.

The maximum operating distance between nozzles 3 and point of impact at cylinder 1 will depend primarily upon the force the seed must develop to pull away from the fibers. The seed will derive its separating force from the quantity and velocity of the fluid striking the seed.

-It was determined empirically that aflat fan jet nozzle emitting 10 gallons of water per minute at a gauge pressure of 400 psi and located two inches from the cylinder is the'minimum which will effect fiber-seed separation over a three-inch width of cylinder.

Most of the water and all'of the defibered seeds pass through duct 7 onto moving separating screen8 which is designed to permit the fluid to return"to'reservoir 9 while the cottonseeds are carried from the gin for drying or other processing.

The seed-free cotton fiber remains adhered to cylinder 1 until it comes under the action of doffing nozzles 4 that washes them free from cylinder 1 and into duct 10. Water and cotton fiber is directed by duct 10 onto moving separating screen 11 which permits return of water to reservoir 9, while the cotton fibers are conveyed from the gin for drying or further processing.

Water may be supplied to doffing nozzles 4 from reservoir 9 by either the same pump 12 that supplies the wetting nozzles 2 or by a separate pump.

Housing 14 encloses the saw cylinder and water nozzles to direct splash water to ducts 7 and 10, and thence to reservoir 9.

It is understood that the form of the invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred embodiment.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. An apparatus and system for removing cottonseeds from cotton fiber comprising:

a. a horizontal rotating cylinder comprising:

1. a saw toothed external surface with which to enmesh the cotton fibers,

2. a means of rotating the cylinder in a ciockwise direction,

b. a system of low pressure nozzles to wet the cotton fiber and mingle the cotton fiber with the metal saw teeth, and

c. a means of supplying fluid to said low pressure nozzles,

d. a system of high pressure impact nozzles directing the impacting fluid stream tangentially to the horizontal rotating cylinder thereby forcibly removing the cottonseed from the fibers while retaining the fibers in the saw teeth of the rotating cylinder, and

e. a means of supplying high pressure fluid to said high pressure impact nozzles,

f. a means gathering and directing spent fluid and cottonseed released by said nozzles, and

g. a means receiving and separating said gathered fluid and cottonseeds and conveying the cottonseeds away from the apparatus for further processmg,

h. a means of retaining said separated impacting fluid in storage,

i. a system of doffing nozzles to remove the cotton fibers from the teeth on the surface of the horizontal rotating cylinder, and

j. a means of supplying fluid to said doffing nozzles,

k. a means of gathering and directing the spent fluid and cotton fibers released by said doffing nozzles,

l. a means receiving and separating said gathered fluid and cotton fibers and conveying the cotton fiber away from the apparatus for additional processing,

m. an enclosure encompassing said cylinder and said nozzle systems thereby directing splash fluid to the said gathering and directing means described in (f) and (k) and thence to said retaining means described in (h).

2. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the impacting fluid is water.

3. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the means used to supply the low pressure fluid to the low pressure nozzles is a low pressure pump.

4. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the high pressure impact nozzles are flat fan jet type nozzles set to emit 10 gallons of water per minute at a gauge pressure of 400 psi and located 2 inches from the cylinder as a minimum-criteria.

5. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the means of supplying high pressure fluid to the high pressure nozzles is a high pressure pump.

6. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the means of gathering and directing the spent fluid and cottonseed and cotton fiber are enclosed ducts.

7. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the means of retaining the impacting fluid is a water reser- 8. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the means of supplying fluid to the doffing nozzles is a pump.

9. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the means of conveying the cottonseed and the cotton fiber away from the apparatus is a continuous belt conveyor. 

1. An apparatus and system for removing cottonseeds from cotton fiber comprising: a. a horizontal rotating cylinder comprising:
 1. a saw toothed external surface with which to enmesh the cotton fibers,
 2. a means of rotating the cylinder in a clockwise direction, b. a system of low pressure nozzles to wet the cotton fiber and mingle the cotton fiber with the metal saw teeth, and c. a means of supplying fluid to said low pressure nozzles, d. a system of high pressure impact nozzles directing the impacting fluid stream tangentially to the horizontal rotating cylinder thereby forcibly removing the cottonseed from the fibers while retaining the fibers in the saw teeth of the rotating cylinder, and e. a means of supplying high pressure fluid to said high pressure impact nozzles, f. a means gathering and directing spent fluid and cottonseed released by said nozzles, and g. a means receiving and separating said gathered fluid and cottonseeds and conveying the cottonseeds away from the apparatus for further processing, h. a means of retaining said separated impacting fluid in storage, i. a system of doffing nozzles to remove the cotton fibers from the teeth on the surface of the horizontal rotating cylinder, and j. a means of supplying fluid to said doffing nozzles, k. a means of gathering and directing the spent fluid and cotton fibers released by Said doffing nozzles, l. a means receiving and separating said gathered fluid and cotton fibers and conveying the cotton fiber away from the apparatus for additional processing, m. an enclosure encompassing said cylinder and said nozzle systems thereby directing splash fluid to the said gathering and directing means described in (f) and (k) and thence to said retaining means described in (h).
 2. a means of rotating the cylinder in a clockwise direction, b. a system of low pressure nozzles to wet the cotton fiber and mingle the cotton fiber with the metal saw teeth, and c. a means of supplying fluid to said low pressure nozzles, d. a system of high pressure impact nozzles directing the impacting fluid stream tangentially to the horizontal rotating cylinder thereby forcibly removing the cottonseed from the fibers while retaining the fibers in the saw teeth of the rotating cylinder, and e. a means of supplying high pressure fluid to said high pressure impact nozzles, f. a means gathering and directing spent fluid and cottonseed released by said nozzles, and g. a means receiving and separating said gathered fluid and cottonseeds and conveying the cottonseeds away from the apparatus for further processing, h. a means of retaining said separated impacting fluid in storage, i. a system of doffing nozzles to remove the cotton fibers from the teeth on the surface of the horizontal rotating cylinder, and j. a means of supplying fluid to said doffing nozzles, k. a means of gathering and directing the spent fluid and cotton fibers released by Said doffing nozzles, l. a means receiving and separating said gathered fluid and cotton fibers and conveying the cotton fiber away from the apparatus for additional processing, m. an enclosure encompassing said cylinder and said nozzle systems thereby directing splash fluid to the said gathering and directing means described in (f) and (k) and thence to said retaining means described in (h).
 2. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the impacting fluid is water.
 3. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the means used to supply the low pressure fluid to the low pressure nozzles is a low pressure pump.
 4. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the high pressure impact nozzles are flat fan jet type nozzles set to emit 10 gallons of water per minute at a gauge pressure of 400 psi and located 2 inches from the cylinder as a minimum criteria.
 5. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the means of supplying high pressure fluid to the high pressure nozzles is a high pressure pump.
 6. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the means of gathering and directing the spent fluid and cottonseed and cotton fiber are enclosed ducts.
 7. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the means of retaining the impacting fluid is a water reservoir.
 8. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the means of supplying fluid to the doffing nozzles is a pump.
 9. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the means of conveying the cottonseed and the cotton fiber away from the apparatus is a continuous belt conveyor. 